The Tata Nano has been awaited across India since its unveiling on January 10, 2008.

With a length of just 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, the Tata Nano has the smallest exterior footprint for a car in India.

It offers a spacious passenger compartment which can seat four adults and offers a high seating position.

Its small size coupled with a turning radius of just 4 metres, makes it extremely manoeuvrable.

The Nano is powered by a 624cc 2-cylinder engine – delivering 35 PS @ 5250 rpm and a torque of 48 Nm @ 3000 rpm – mated to a four-speed gear box. The top speed is 105 km/h.

Fuel efficiency is 23.6 km/litre – highest for any petrol car in India – certified by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).

The high fuel efficiency, coupled with a low kerb weight of 600 kg, ensures that the Tata Nano – at 101 gm / km – has the lowest CO2 emission amongst cars in India.

The Tata Nano is BS-III* compliant and is BS-IV* ready. It is also available in BS-II* norms – BS II, BS III and BS IV are the Indian mandatory norms for Nitrogen Oxides, Hydrocarbons, Carbon Monoxide and particulates and are substantially aligned with the European norms Euro II, Euro III and Euro IV.

The Tata Nano’s safety performance exceeds current regulatory requirements – it passes the roll-over test and offset impact, which are not regulated in India.

At launch the Nano will be available in three trim variants: the Nano Standard, Nano CX and Nano LX.

The Tata Nano is currently being manufactured at the company’s Pantnagar plant in Uttarakhand in limited numbers. The new dedicated plant, at Sanand in Gujarat, will be ready in 2010 with a capacity of 350,000 cars per year.

At the beginning of its production, the Tata Nano will be available through a booking mode, managed in cooperation with the State Bank of India.

The sale of application forms and acceptance of booking will last from 9 April until 25 April 2009.